Earthworm exploitation hits Pulicat biodiversity

• Illegal catching of earthworms poses threat to Pulicat
• They act as bio-reactor to multiply beneficial soil and decomposition of microorganisms
• Environmentalists warn that the decrease in availability of worms would badly affect arrival of winged guests from various parts of globe

Nellore: Illegal capturing and transporting of earthworms, the best food source for hatcheries and animal breeding poses a threat to Pulicat Lake and is resulting in degradation of soil conservation and ecology of the lake.

Earthworms are part of vermiculture and they are very useful as bio-reactor to multiply benefits to soil and decomposition of microorganisms. Experts in the culture say the frequent exploitation of these vermin is dangerous to ecology in the lake area and efforts of the forest and other departments were found to be futile.

Pulicat, a saline backwater creek, is spread over 481 sq km and lies along the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It was found in Tamil Nadu, as part of a study that a network involved for supplying the worms for prawn hatcheries through middlemen by exploiting nature's rich source in the Lake that has links in Sullurpet area where northern part exists.

According to sources, around 400-500 kg of worms are being illegally exploited and supplied to Chennai- and AP-based hatcheries. “Vermiculture technology that breeds worms is very cheap, eco-friendly and enhances soil health which has direct impact on health of plants, animals and human beings. It is also pro-poor, pro-women, pro-environment and pro-farmer.

Still, people are relying on illegal catch in the Lake damaging the environs,” said Dr P Tirupal, an agriculture scientist. The illegal activity is most rampant around Pulicat Lake, which is the country's second largest brackish water lagoon. Traders from Chennai and parts of AP engage labourers from surrounding villages to dig out earthworms and are sold as feed to the prawn hatcheries in the vicinity.

“This would certainly affect arrival of winged guests across the globe since they don’t find food in the coming years as they form an important role in the food chain. Strong cases have to be booked against the illegal traders and worm-collectors for curbing the activity,” said P B K Acharyulu, an animal welfare activist.

Middlemen engage tribal population to catch the worms and transport them to a secret place in lunch boxes, bowls, and other routine vessels. Then, they shift to a main storage point in Chennai or Nellore for vending to aqua firms. For this task, they were getting only Rs. 30-50 per kg and finally the stock was being sold at Rs. 2,000-3,000 per kg where middlemen and traders are making huge bucks.

Venadu and Sullurpet are storage points for this trade. “We cannot initiate cases against tribals since they were getting only negligible revenue. Key persons were from other parts of the Lake and we are concentrating on them,” said a police official .